Emily Carr
April 2018
Message from Administration
Thank you to all who attended our first Family Math event. This after-school function was such a huge success. We received lots of positive feedback from parents and students. These events are not possible without the hard work and dedication of staff members and volunteers. We thank you all very much for your continued support to make Emily Carr PS such a wonderful place to learn, grow and succeed.
School Organization and Registrations:
Class building is a complex process completed by staff with a great deal of care, concern and energy. Factors considered during this process are instructional groupings, learning and teaching styles, maturity and work habits, program continuity, peer relationships, parental input, boy and girl ratios, group dynamics and class size -- both regionally and provincially. Using information from all sources, the school staff strives to build classes which are balanced and best suit students' needs. As parents, you may have information about your child that might help us with your child's placement. Some parents have begun submitting their input to the office; thank you. If you have additional information about your child that would have a significant impact on your child's placement, please inform Mrs. Bate, not the current classroom teacher, in writing no later than Thursday, April 19th. Unfortunately, we won't be able to use input shared after this date. Also, please note that some teachers may be reassigned to teach different grades as well as different divisions. Please avoid asking for a specific teacher in your input emails/letters (Please send all input to batec@hdsb.ca).
Having an accurate tally of students that will be attending Emily Carr in September is VERY important to our school organizational planning. If you know your child will not be attending Emily Carr in September, please inform the office as soon as possible. We are still accepting registrations for JK as well as SK students new to Emily Carr. If you know someone in our catchment area that has not yet registered their age-appropriate JK or SK child, please encourage them to come into the office to register as soon as possible. As well, if you know of a family that is moving into our area with school-age students, please let them know that we are currently taking registrations for ALL students for the 2018-2019 school year.
Office Sign in Procedures
Parents are reminded that they must sign in at the main office when they enter the school. If you have a meeting arranged with a teacher, please sign in at the office first. The teacher will then be notified of your arrival. Thank you for supporting this procedure.
Parking Lot Progress
The Town of Oakville has recently approved a 2nd Crossing Guard for the intersection of Pine Glen Road and Postmaster Drive.
https://securepwa.oakville.ca/sirepub/mtgviewer.aspx?meetid=3372&doctype=AGENDA.
As the weather gets warmer, we continue to encourage all families to walk or wheel to school.
A Musical Note by Jean Barber
The Grade 8 Band is very pleased to be taking part in the Canadian National Band competition on Thursday, May 17th. The event is taking place in Toronto at the University of Toronto. Bands from across Canada will be travelling to Toronto to partake in this event. The Grade 8 Band would like to thank the school administration for making this possible.
The Grade 8 Band will be performing at the school’s World Tour Night on Wednesday, May 9th.
The Grade 7 Band started playing together on March 8th . The students are enjoying playing together in a band setting. They will be having their first concert on Wednesday, June 13th at 7 p.m. in our school Gym. Each student has a printed schedule of rehearsal dates.
The Blue Jays’ Choir continues to meet as they prepare for the April 4th game. We have 438 people going from our school and 77 students singing in the choir. A great turnout for Emily Carr! Enjoy the game.
Our Interlink Choir continues to meet on Mondays as they prepare for their concert on Wednesday, April 18th . The concert will take place in our school gym at 7 p.m. There will be a social following the concert. The Interlink Choir began 30 years ago under the leadership of Mrs. Barber. To celebrate this occasion they will be performing various Broadway tunes. The students and seniors have had a busy year singing at both school and community events. This will be their final concert.
This year, Emily Carr has a choir performing with other Halton schools at the Halton Showcase. Our students will be travelling to Hamilton to take part in this special musical evening on Thursday, April 12th.
We also have three Grade 8 band members participating in the Intermediate Winds and Halton Junior Jazz groups. Mrs. Barber will be conducting the Finale of 600 students at this event.
Grade 6's visit Oakville Museum
#SeeTheAbility
Thank you to all of our EC staff and students who participated in the Blue & Yellow spirit day to recognize World Down Syndrome Day on March 21st. On April 4th, we are excited to welcome guest speaker Meghan Caruso from the Halton Down Syndrome Association to talk about their initiatives and to spread awareness.
Math Night Success!!!
World Tour Night --May 9th
Emily Carr is hosting our 8th Annual World Tour Multicultural Evening on Wednesday, May 9th from 6:00-7:30pm.
Please plan to attend with your family! It is a fantastic evening with country displays, dance and music performances, our Grade 8 Band and fun activities for all! This year we will also include a Cultural Clothing Parade from various cultures. Our Student Ambassadors are busy preparing for this evening for all to enjoy. We are excited to learn and share in our many cultures we have here at Emily Carr.
A letter will be sent home the week of April 9th asking families to participate by hosting a country display. You are welcome to join with other families to do this. It is a wonderful opportunity to get involved in our community and learn about other cultures or your own culture and heritage.
*High school students can earn volunteer hours by helping with or hosting a display or helping out at the event.
Please consider participating as a family and sharing in this wonderful evening with our school. For more information, or if you have questions, please email Mrs. Hassall at hassalll@hdsb.ca.
Emily Carr Compete's at Halton Skills Competition
Emily Carr sent two teams of intermediate students to participate and compete in this event. The Grade 8 Team of Elise, Paul, Samuel, and Haaniya took part in the Technology Challenge. The Grade 7 team comprised of Aiden, Paridhi, Alina and Sachkarn competed in the Green Energy Challenge.
These students have been working with Mr. Allin & Ms. Munro over the past six weeks prepping and preparing for this event. It is an event that truly allows the students in Halton schools to showcase and display their knowledge and talents in various fields of Science & Technology.
A special thank you to our parent volunteers who helped by driving our teams to the event.
Emily Carr PS Turns 10!
Mark your calendars and join us for this year’s Primary Spring Concert on Wednesday, April 25th at 6:30 pm in the gymnasium. Under the direction of Mr. Richard Folts, the students in Grades 1-3 have been preparing for this annual event. This year’s show is presented in honour of Emily Carr Public School’s 10th Anniversary. The performance will feature a variety of songs that highlight EC’s school motto “Dream, Soar, Succeed.” The highlight of this concert will be the performance of an original song written by Mr. Folts, with the assistance of Jennifer Howse. In order to show their school spirit, each student is asked to wear a green or a blue shirt to the evening performance. There will also be a dress rehearsal at 1:00 pm on April 25th for any parent who cannot make the evening concert. Each family will receive only two tickets to the performance. More information will be sent home closer to the concert date. Show your school spirit by attending this year’s Primary Concert on April 25th at 6:30 pm.
Go Thunderbirds Fly!
Conservation Halton - Controlled Burn
EQAO Volunteers
EQAO Testing Dates for Grade 3 and Grade 6
Students are assessed on their Reading, Writing and Math skills at the end of the primary and junior level years. The dates for the writing of the EQAO test for Grade 3 and Grade 6 are:
Grade 6:
Tuesday, May 22
Wednesday, May 23
Thursday, May 24
Grade 3:
Friday, May 25
Monday, May 28
Tuesday, May 29th
Dates to Remember
Monday, April 2nd - Easter Monday, No School
Wednesday, April 4th - Emily Carr at the Blue Jay Game 7pm-10pm
Monday, April 9th - School Council Meeting 6pm
Thursday, April 12th - Gr 7 Immunizations
Thursday, April 26th - Water Walk
Emily Carr Public School
Website: https://sites.google.com/a/hdsb.ca/emily-carr/home
Location: 2255 Pine Glen Road, Oakville, ON, Canada
Phone: (905) 827-3928
April 2018 - Celebrations, Observances and Days of Significance
Hispanic Heritage Month/ Latin America Heritage Month
In 2009, then Mayor David Miller, on behalf of the City of Toronto and following a request made by City Councillor Cesar Palacio, proclaimed the month of April “Hispanic Heritage Month”. The following year the Province of Ontario followed suit and the Provincial Legislative “unanimously adopted the bill to designate April of each year as Hispanic Heritage Month.” All three parties supported the bill, recognizing the cultural, social and economic contributions of the Hispanic community to Ontario, a community that grows dramatically year after year not only in urban metropolis, but all over Canada as well, and which encompasses 23 countries– truly a rich and varied mosaic of cultures and heritage.
Sikh Heritage Month
Sikh Canadians have lived in Ontario since the middle of the twentieth century. They represent a growing and dynamic population. Sikh Canadians have made significant contributions to the growth and prosperity of Ontario. April is an important month for the Sikh community. In this month, Sikh Canadians celebrate Vaisakhi, which marks the creation of the Khalsa and the Sikh articles of faith. Sikh Canadians widely celebrate Vaisakhi, also known as Khalsa Day, across Ontario. By proclaiming the month of April as Sikh Heritage Month, the Province of Ontario recognizes the important contributions that Sikh Canadians have made to Ontario’s social, economic, political and cultural fabric. Sikh Heritage Month is an opportunity to remember, celebrate and educate future generations about Sikh Canadians and the important role that they have played and continue to play in communities across Ontario.
April 1 - Easter (Christianity), April 8 Easter (Orthodox)
Easter is a religious holiday that commemorates the resurrection of Jesus Christ after his death by crucifixion. For Christians, Easter is a day of religious services and family gatherings. Easter Day is a popular day for attending church, getting together for a big family meal, and staging an Easter egg hunt. It is also a good time for people to decorate Easter eggs, join in Easter craft contests and to indulge in holiday recipes, such as lamb, spring vegetables and Easter cakes.
April 2 - World Autism Awareness Day
World Autism Day (WAAD) occurs on April 2. This UN resolution declares WAAD as one of only four official health-specific United Nations Days and will bring the world's attention to autism, a pervasive disorder that affects tens of millions. The World Autism Awareness Day resolution encourages all Member States to take measures to raise awareness about autism throughout society and to encourage early diagnosis and early intervention. It further expresses deep concern at the prevalence and high rate of autism in children in all regions of the world and the consequent developmental challenges they face. World Autism Awareness Day shines a bright light on autism as a growing global health issue. WAAD activities help to increase and develop world knowledge of children and adults with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Additionally, WAAD celebrates the unique talents and skills of persons with autism and is a day when individuals with autism are warmly welcomed and embraced in community events around the globe
April 5 - Shri Rama Navami (Hinduism)
Ram Navami falls on the ninth day of the bright fortnight in the month of Chaitra (April/May) (8 days after Yugādi) and coincides with Vasant Navratri or Chait Durga Puja. Therefore in some regions, the festival is spread over nine days. This day, marking the birthday of Lord Rama, is also observed as the marriage day of Rama and Sita and thus also referred to as Kalyanotsavam.
April 6 - Holy Friday (Eastern Orthodox)
Christians may attend special church services, even if they do not attend church regularly during the rest of the year. Good Friday is a day of mourning and quiet prayer among many Christians. The candles are often extinguished and statues, paintings and crosses may be draped in black, purple or gray cloth. Some Catholics observe a partial fast on Good Friday and do not eat any meat. Hot cross buns are a traditional treat on Good Friday. These are small bread-like buns, made from dough that contains raisins, currants and other dried fruit. The top of a hot cross bun is marked with a cross and covered with a sugar glaze. The cross may be cut into the bun or marked with a special dough that remains pale even after it has been baked. Hot cross buns may be eaten as they are, split and spread with butter or toasted. For Canadians who are not Christians Good Friday is the start of a three or four-day weekend. This is a welcome spring break, which some people use to visit family or friends. It is also a popular time to take a short vacation.
April 7 - End of Pesach Passover - (Judaism)
Pesach Passover is observed from March 30 - April 7. Passover is a festival of freedom celebrated by people of Jewish faith. It commemorates the Israelites’ Exodus from Egypt, and their transition from slavery to freedom. The main ritual of Passover is the seder, which occurs on the first two night (in Israel just the first night) of the holiday — a festive meal that involves the re-telling of the Exodus through stories and song and the consumption of ritual foods, including matzah and maror (bitter herbs). The seder’s rituals and other readings are outlined in the Haggadah.
April 9 - Mahavir Jayanti (Jainism)
Mahavir Jayanti is specially celebrated every year by the people of Jain religion and other religious people as well to commemorate the birth anniversary of the great sage, Mahavir (also known as Vardhamana). It is celebrated with much fervor at all the Jain temples all over the country. All the holy places and temples associated with the Mahavir are decorated with the flowers, flags and etc to celebrate this special occasion. At this day, the Mahavir idol is given a ritual bath before celebration and puja following a big and grand procession. There is a tradition of distributing clothes, money, food and other necessary things to the poor people. Such facilities are organized by the Jain organizations. Big celebration events are organized at some grand Jain shrines including Girnar and Palitana, Gujarat; Sri Mahavirji, Rajasthan and Parasnath Temple.
April 9 - Palm Sunday (Christian)
Palm Sunday is the final Sunday of Lent, the beginning of Holy Week, and commemorates the triumphant arrival of Christ in Jerusalem, days before he was crucified.Palm Sunday is known as such because the faithful will often receive palm fronds which they use to participate in the reenactment of Christ's arrival in Jerusalem. In the Gospels, Jesus entered Jerusalem riding a young donkey, and to the lavish praise of the townspeople who threw clothes, or possibly palms or small branches, in front of him as a sign of homage. This was a customary practice for people of great respect. Palm branches are widely recognized symbol of peace and victory, hence their preferred use on Palm Sunday.
April 11 - World Parkinson’s Day
World Parkinson’s Disease Day marks the birthday of Dr. J Parkinson. On this day there are efforts made to increase the public awareness of this terrible disease, as well as all the good works put forth by the worlds organizations dedicated to eradicating this disease. There are activities to promote this the entire world over, and the opportunity to participate is open to any and all who want to help in this effort.
April 12 - International Day of Pink
The Day of Pink is the International Day against Bullying, Discrimination, Homophobia, Transphobia, and Transmisogyny across the world. The United Nations invites everyone to celebrate diversity by wearing a pink shirt and by organizing activities in their workplaces, schools and communities.
April 12 - Isra Wal Mi’raj (Islam)
Many Muslims in Canada observe Isra and Mi'raj (Al Isra' wal Miraj, Lailat al Mi’raj, or Laylat al Miraj). This event commemorates the Prophet Muhammad’s journey from Mecca to Jerusalem and his ascent into heaven. It is observed on the 27th day of Rajab, the seventh month in the Islamic calendar. Many Muslims in Canada make special prayers in the evening or attend prayer services and sermons at Islamic centers or mosques. Others observe Isra and Mi’raj quietly at home. Some Muslims celebrate the event over two days. Other activities associated with Isra and Mi’raj include fasting during the day, as well as reciting the Qu’ran (Koran) and using the tasbih (commonly made of various stones or wooden beads and used for prayer) in the night.
April 12 - Yom HaShoah (Judaism)
Yom HaShoah, also known as Holocaust Remembrance Day, occurs on the 27th of Nisan. Shoah, which means catastrophe or utter destruction in Hebrew, refers to the atrocities that were committed against the Jewish people during World War II. This is a memorial day for those who died in the Shoah. The Shoah is also known as the Holocaust, from a Greek word meaning "sacrifice by fire.
April 13 - Vaisakhi/Baisakhai (Sikhism)
The Vaisakhi harvest celebration in countries such as in India is an occasion of dancing, singing, music, wearing of festive garments and religious praise. The festival marks the start of the New Year in the Nanakshahi solar calendar and recognizes the Sikh religious faith. Many people in India celebrate Vaisakhi by dancing, singing, dressing in holiday finery and enjoying the many parades that take place at this time. Men dance the Bhangra and women dance the Gidda to celebrate this event. People enjoy holiday foods and special treats such as kada prasad (a type of sweet).
April 14 - Tamil New Year
Tamil Puthandu, also known as Puthu Varusham or Tamil New Year, is the first day of year on the Tamil calendar. The festival date is set with the solar cycle of the lunisolar Hindu calendar, as the first day of the Tamil month Chithirai. It therefore almost always falls on or about 14 April every year on the Gregorian calendar. The same day is observed by Hindus elsewhere as the traditional new year, but is known by other names such as Vishu in Kerala, and Vaisakhi in central and north India.
April 14 - Baisaki/Solar New Year (Hinduism) (Sikhism)
The Vaisakhi harvest celebration in countries such as in India by people of Hindu and Sikh faith is an occasion of dancing, singing, music, wearing of festive garments and religious praise. The festival marks the start of the New Year in the Nanakshahi solar calendar. Many people in India celebrate Vaisakhi by dancing, singing, dressing in holiday finery, observing wrestling bouts and enjoying the many parades that take place at this time. Men dance the Bhangra and women dance the Gidda to celebrate this event. People enjoy holiday foods and special treats such as kada prasad (a type of sweet).
April 18 - Akshaya Tritiya (Jainism)
Akshaya Tritiya is celebrated on the third day of bright half of Hindu month Vaishakh. In 2017, it will be marked on 28th of April. It is celebrated to commemorate the birth of Lord Vishnu's 6th incarnation, Lord Parshurama. Donations or offerings are made to those who are less fortunate in order to grant prosperity and well being to others.
April 21 - First Day of Ridvan (Baha’i)
Ridvan is a twelve-day festival in the Bahá’í Faith, commemorating the commencement of Bahá’u’lláh's prophethood. It begins at sunset on April 20th and continues until sunset, May 2nd. On the first (April 21st), ninth (April 29th) and twelfth days of Riḍván (May 2nd), work and schooling is suspended. "Riḍván" means paradise, and is named for the Garden of Ridván outside Baghdad, where Bahá’u’lláh stayed for twelve days after the Ottoman Empire exiled him from Baghdad and before commencing his journey to Constantinople. It is the most holy Bahá’í festival, and is also referred to as the "Most Great Festival" and the "King of Festivals".
April 29 - Ninth Day of Ridvan (Baha’i)
For Baha’is the twelve-day period marks the holiest and happiest festival of the year, called Ridvan (pronounced Rez-wan). These Baha’i Holy Days, which celebrate the beginning of the Baha’i Faith in 1863 as its Founder Baha’u’llah prepared for exile, also recognize a period of great turmoil in Baha’i history and signify the transformation of suffering and oppression into joy. Three of the twelve days of Ridvan – the first, ninth and final day have special significance.
April 29 - Bak Poya Day (Buddhism)
Bak Poya (Bak Pura Pasaloswaka Poya Day) which falls in the month of April marks Lord Buddha’s visit to Nagadipa (Sinhala: නාගදීපය). This was his second visit to Sri Lanka after Enlightenment. According to the ancient chronicle, Mahavamsa, he visited Nagadipa as he perceived an atmosphere of animosity between two parties of the Naga community. The deity Samaddhisumana accompanied the Blessed One on this journey.
April 30 - Nisfu Sha’ban (Islam)
Sha'ban (Arabic: شعبان, translit. sha‘bān) is the eighth month of the Islamic calendar. This is the month of "separation", so called because the pagan Arabs used to disperse in search of water. The fifteenth night of this month is known as the "Night of Records" (Laylat al-Bara'at). However, observance of this day is disputed. Sha'ban is the last lunar month before Ramadan, and so Muslims determine in it when the first day of Ramadan fasting will be.
April 30-May 2 - Theravada Buddhist New Year (Buddhism)
In the countries of Thailand, Burma, Sri Lanka, Cambodia and Lao, the new year is celebrated for three days from the first full moon day in April. In Mahayana countries the new year starts on the first full moon day in January. However, the Buddhist New Year depends on the country of origin or ethnic background of the people. As for example, Chinese, Koreans and Vietnamese celebrate late January or early February according to the lunar calendar, whilst the Tibetans usually celebrate about one month later.